Hidden Meaning in this print?

[Tom_in_CA]

I believe Gen. Custer's younger brother Boston, was with him, as well. Boston was on summer vacation from Harvard College.

Chances are the figure in the foreground is Lonesome Charley Reynolds, a scout.

A print of that painting hung in almost every bar and saloon in the Old West.

There has been interesting speculation about Frank Grouard - also a scout. He was also present at Wounded Knee.


Good luck to all,

The Old Bookaroo

Old book: Always enjoy your inputs.

 

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[Old Bookaroo]

Tom in CA:

Thank you! If you haven't read The Life of Frank Grouard it's a very interesting book. Very rare in the first edition, but the Time Life reprint is readily available.

Flashman and Redskins (not a novel for everyone!) speculates that Grouard fought on both sides of that battle.

A TN member was writing a book about that battle. Like so many other similar works, I don't believe it has yet seen the light of day.

Good luck to all,

The Old Bookaroo

 

[dts52]

Meanwhile the kneeling figure to his right has a bead on Custer, so what side is he on? Never made sense to me either.

I noticed that too. I think the lucky troopers were the ones who died instantly or almost instantly. Some shot themselves, knowing what was in store.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Maybe I should have made myself clearer. I am talking about the figure in the buckskin clothes and grey hat with his back to us as shown in the close up picture. He is just standing there.

That's one of Custer's Indian scouts slowing backing up and saying "Nothing to see here. Just an Indian like you guys."

 

[fyrffytr1]

What would it matter ? Are you thinking there's some hidden clue of treasure ? Or ... ?

No I don't think it is a clue or anything. I just found it odd that amid all the turmoil there is a lone figure just standing there doing nothing.

 

[Old Bookaroo]

dts52: Isn't there a book about the battle Save The Last Bullet for Yourself? Obviously I wasn't there, but in my opinion Gen. Custer went down fighting. For all his many flaws (and certainly none of us are perfect) his courage was unquestioned. And he is the officer who helped save the Union army at Gettysburg.

Good luck to all,

The Old Bookaroo

 

[Old Bookaroo]

Tom in CA:

There is a treasure story here - "The $375,000 Custer Massacre [?] Cache." You can read all about it in Emile Schurmacher's Lost Treasures and How to Find Them (1968). I'm sure the chapter is accurate because the cover promises "This Book Can Make You Rich." Bill Hanks told me that in his opinion this book had one of the very first accounts of the "Four Corners Gold Cache."

Good luck to all,

The Old Bookaroo

 

[trdking]

Yep. There's Waldo.

Aaaah You beat me too it Duck

 

[Red James Cash]

Nah,Custer was counting on killing women and children,as usual,he didn't count on running into Sioux warriors and Cheyenne dog soldiers.He screwed up.It wasn't Sand Creek.He didn't listen when the Cheyenne told him keep messing with us and you'll be a dead man.Thats why the NA women cleaned his ears out for him after he was dead,so he would hear better in the next life

 

[RGINN]

Not much in that painting is historically accurate. They didn't use sabers at the Little Bighorn. Custer wasn't at Sand Creek, but the Washita fight has been called a dress rehearsal for the Little Bighorn. That figure is just an artistic device to draw you into the painting as an observer, and apparently it worked since so many comments about it. Nobody can say for sure who killed Custer, as it was just a big confused melee at the end and most people didn't recognize him as he had cut his hair. Although you hear stories about how his body wasn't mutilated out of respect, it most likely probably was to some extant. There was just so many victims they just got tired of mutilated all of them. Walter Camp has some of the best info on the Washita and Greasy Grass fights.

 

[Red James Cash]

Hey RGINN I know Custer wasn't at sand Creek.I threw that in there as an example of how the cavalry's liked killing those who couldn't fight back.Most people's idea of native Americans come from movies and TV,those examples couldn't be further from the truth.Custer choose the badest azzes around to pick on.He was warned but didn't heed the warning.He got what he deserved.

 

[fyrffytr1]

On another site the mysterious figure has been identified as Autie Reed, Custer's nephew and the kneeling figure beside him is "Halfbreed". This info came from an original copy that has the names underneath the picture.

 

[GA_Boy]

All I know is that in the end he was wearing an ARROW Shirt.
Marvin